Apple still on top in tablet market, but sees share reduced

Apple Inc continues to dominate in tablet computers, although its market share is shrinking because of growing competition from Samsung Electronics Co and others, research firm IDC said on Thursday.

Apple shipped 22.9 million iPads worldwide in the October-December quarter, during which it released a new model and updated its full-size models. That represented growth of 48 percent from the same period a year earlier.

However, IDC said Apple’s market share fell to 44 percent, from 52 percent.

Samsung saw shipments more than triple to 7.9 million. Its market share expanded to 15 percent, from 7 percent. Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), maker of the Transformer line and Google’s Nexus 7, also saw shipments and market share increase.